Wellington boy goes to bat for Marlins in effort to keep team in S. Fla.

 

By Sarah Talalay

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Posted March 2 2006

 

 

He would like someday to be a professional baseball player, a first baseman.

 

But for now, 7-year-old Jacob Solkoff wants to make sure he has a Major League Baseball team to root for.

 

That's why the baseball fan from Wellington formed a club dubbed "The Billys" in honor of his favorite team's mascot, Billy the Marlin. He and a small group of friends began collecting signatures to "save the Marlins" from a future outside Florida. The Marlins say they want to stay, but have been exploring options for a new home as far away as San Antonio and Portland, Ore.

 

The first-grader at Arthur I. Meyer Jewish Academy in West Palm Beach has set up a table in his front yard for signature gathering. Another time it was a lemonade stand with his 4-year-old sister Lola. He took the petition drive to Marlins FanFest.

 

Clad in pale blue T-shirts that dad Scott Solkoff had made with "Keep the Marlins in South Florida" on the front and a Billy logo on the back, Jacob and his friend Alexa Burnston, 5, of Lake Worth, manned a table at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter last month.

 

"I'm trying to save the Marlins," Jacob told any Marlins fan who would listen. "Put your name, age, e-mail and address."

 

So far: more than 300 signatures and a Web site -- www.keepthemarlins.net -- that Jacob's uncle created and allows fans to sign the petition online.

 

"This is very good," said Bill Grabin, an original Marlins season ticket holder from Plantation. "Kids that age, they want to see baseball when they get older. My grandson is 9, my granddaughter is 8. If we lose the team, we'll never get one back here."

 

Added 13-year-old Javier Morales of Miami: "I'd like to keep the Marlins in South Florida. I've grown up seeing this team."

 

While adults dicker about revenue streams and tourist taxes for a new stadium, Jacob hopes to show that fans -- young and old -- want the Marlins to stay.

 

"It broke my heart," Marlins President David Samson said. "He should be spending his time collecting baseball cards and trading baseball cards and enjoying the fact he has a baseball team to root for and not having bake sales to try to save the team."

The Billys are trying to gather as many signatures as possible.

 

"My dad is going to give the signatures to the person who owns Miami so he can see how many we have and then maybe we can get a stadium," Jacob says. "We're going to see what happens."

 

Scott Solkoff, an attorney, takes this to mean Jacob wants the petitions delivered to the Miami-Dade County Commission, which has been trying to finance a stadium for years.

 

Jacob fell in love with the Marlins during the 2003 World Series, and father and son attend weekend games together. "This is one of my great passions with Jacob, something he and I can share together," Scott Solkoff said.

 

Upon learning from his grandfather about a year ago that the team might move, Jacob formed The Billys.

 

Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Joe Martinez said Jacob's effort would let him know the community cares about the team.

 

"That would definitely reinforce my commitment to keeping the Marlins here," he said.

 

Jacob knows the 2006 Marlins bear little resemblance to last year's squad.

 

"Well, we traded all of them. I don't know why, but that was a bad deal," Jacob said. "We now have all young players."

 

But the prospect of young players is far less worrisome than no players nearby. Jacob has more signatures to collect.

 

"They're helping us make it so they'll stay in Florida," he said.

 

Sarah Talalay can be reached at stalalay@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4173.

 

Link :baby

Jacob fell in love with the Marlins during the 2003 World Series

 

OMGBANDWAGON

So far: more than 300 signatures and a Web site -- www.keepthemarlins.net -- that Jacob's uncle created and allows fans to sign the petition online.

 

Well, I've now signed.

yep, me too

 

Shadez Nation supports him!

Yes, and the Jewish Mitzvah Mafia backs him as well.

"It broke my heart," Marlins President David Samson said. "He should be spending his time collecting baseball cards and trading baseball cards and enjoying the fact he has a baseball team to root for and not having bake sales to try to save the team."

 

Well, maybe if you weren't so stubborn, he wouldn't have that problem.

 

 

I think this is such a nice story. I am gonna go visit the website right now.

"It broke my heart," Marlins President David Samson said. "He should be spending his time collecting baseball cards and trading baseball cards and enjoying the fact he has a baseball team to root for and not having bake sales to try to save the team."

 

 

 

and the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day.

I think this is a great story that a 7 year old took it upon himself to try and save this team. I don't know how much of an overall impact this is going to have, but just the fact that the younger Marlins fans out there getting involved is something special.

 

 

 

And Samson can go suck a lemon.

Is anyone else having trouble trying to sign the petition?

So far: more than 300 signatures and a Web site -- www.keepthemarlins.net -- that Jacob's uncle created and allows fans to sign the petition online.

 

Well, I've now signed.

 

 

Same Here! :thumbup

This story should be on one of the local TV stations so that more people can know about it.

signed it too. that kid is awesome.

Signed it as well...good stuff

Signed it, he seems to have the best petition out there.

I signed as well.

"It broke my heart," Marlins President David Samson said. "He should be spending his time collecting baseball cards and trading baseball cards and enjoying the fact he has a baseball team to root for and not having bake sales to try to save the team."

 

 

 

and the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day.

 

hahahahaha...i spit up some water drinking that...my dogs both looked at me and were like, damn man, even i get more water in my mouth than that and i dont get to drink out of a cup...oh yeah...and i signed it...i hope if anything, the kid can shame the marlins into staying

I signed it as well. Samson proves again what a jerk he is with his comment.

 

How the hell do you figure that? He was making a statement of the absurdity of the situation. That both the Marlins and their fans, young and old, are too busy wondering/fearing the team may move when we should be collecting autographs and worrying about who the 5th starter will be. Blame him if you want for his actions towards the lack of a deal, but in absolutly no way was he making a negative comment towards the kid, his or related efforts. It is extremely unfortunate that this kid, or any of us, can't enjoy baseball with all of this stadium financing / relocation stuff hanging over our heads. I can't think of a single person who would disagree with that or Samson's statement, it's just who they choose to put the responsibility on for the current situation. And that is a whole other debate that we've talked to death.

Thing is, you can't read from a line on paper what the motive behind the comments are. You can't hear his tone of voice, the way the speech was delivered, or see how he was moving (or not for that matter) when the statement was said. Since we can't, we have to presume it was said in the same character that Samson always brings out. And that character is to make slight comments that degrade someone either subtley or otherwise. Now who Samson was picking on in this situation (whether it be the kid, the county, the city, or Billy the Marlin) is unknown to us, but there's about as high a chance that this wasn't a degrading statement as the Marlins winning the next three World Championships.

 

Fact of the matter is, we really should be worry about who the 3-5 starters are. But we can't with an honest face say that's all there is to talk about, because keeping the team here and intact is first and foremost over the short term success of the club. And it's not completely and totally Samson and co's fault. But they share in the blame.

Poor kid. :confused

What a sweet kid.

Hopefully the "owner" of Miami can build them a stadium.

Is anyone else having trouble trying to sign the petition?

 

I am. Where the heck do I sign?

I signed :thumbup

SIGNED.

I added a signature. It is good to see a kid from my town doing this.